Genesis 18
1 And Jehovah appeareth unto him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day;
And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
2 and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth,
And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near him: and as soon as he saw them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.
3 And he saith, 'My Lord, if, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, do not, I pray thee, pass on from thy servant;
And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:
4 let, I pray thee, a little water be accepted, and wash your feet, and recline under the tree;
But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
5 and I bring a piece of bread, and support ye your heart; afterwards pass on, for therefore have ye passed over unto your servant;' and they say, 'So mayest thou do as thou has spoken.'
And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.
6 And Abraham hasteth towards the tent, unto Sarah, and saith, 'Hasten three measures of flour-meal, knead, and make cakes;'
Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 and Abraham ran unto the herd, and taketh a son of the herd, tender and good, and giveth unto the young man, and he hasteth to prepare it;
And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man: who made haste and boiled it.
8 and he taketh butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he hath prepared, and setteth before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they do eat.
He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.
9 And they say unto him, 'Where [is] Sarah thy wife?' and he saith, 'Lo — in the tent;'
And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.
10 and he saith, 'returning I return unto thee, about the time of life, and lo, to Sarah thy wife a son.'
And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying and Sara thy wife shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.
11 And Sarah is hearkening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;
Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
12 and Abraham and Sarah [are] aged, entering into days — the way of women hath ceased to be to Sarah;
And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
13 and Sarah laugheth in her heart, saying, 'After I have waxed old I have had pleasure! — my lord also [is] old!'
And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?
14 And Jehovah saith unto Abraham, 'Why [is] this? Sarah hath laughed, saying, Is it true really — I bear — and I am aged? Is any thing too wonderful for Jehovah? at the appointed time I return unto thee, about the time of life, and Sarah hath a son.'
Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.
15 And Sarah denieth, saying, 'I did not laugh;' for she hath been afraid; and He saith, 'Nay, but thou didst laugh.'
Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh:
16 And the men rise from thence, and look on the face of Sodom, and Abraham is going with them to send them away;
And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
17 and Jehovah said, 'Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing,
And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
18 and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?
Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
19 for I have known him, that he commandeth his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of Jehovah), to do righteousness and judgment, that Jehovah may bring on Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.'
For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham’s sake the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.
20 And Jehovah saith, 'The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah — because great; and their sin — because exceeding grievous:
And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
21 I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming unto Me they have done completely — and if not — I know;'
I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me: or whether it be not so, that I may know.
22 and the men turn from thence, and go towards Sodom; and Abraham is yet standing before Jehovah.
And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
23 And Abraham draweth nigh and saith, 'Dost Thou also consume righteous with wicked?
And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
24 peradventure there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; dost Thou also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty — the righteous who [are] in its midst?
If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?
25 Far be it from Thee to do according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it hath been — as the righteous so the wicked — far be it from Thee; doth the Judge of all the earth not do justice?'
Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked, this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.
26 And Jehovah saith, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.'
And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
27 And Abraham answereth and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord, and I — dust and ashes;
And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
28 peradventure there are lacking five of the fifty righteous — dost Thou destroy for five the whole of the city?' and He saith, 'I destroy [it] not, if I find there forty and five.'
What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.
29 And he addeth again to speak unto Him and saith, 'Peradventure there are found there forty?' and He saith, 'I do [it] not, because of the forty.'
And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
30 And he saith, 'Let it not be, I Pray thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: peradventure there are found there thirty?' and He saith, 'I do [it] not, if I find there thirty.'
Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy [it], because of the twenty.'
Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
32 And he saith, 'Let it not be, I pray Thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: peradventure there are found there ten?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy [it], because of the ten.'
I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.
33 And Jehovah goeth on, when He hath finished speaking unto Abraham, and Abraham hath turned back to his place.
And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
